The present invention relates to oral devices, e.g., oral brushes.
Conventional toothbrushes, having tufts of bristles mounted on a head, are generally effective at removing plaque from the flat surfaces of teeth and the areas between teeth and along the gumline that can be accessed by the bristles. However, such toothbrushes typically cannot clean interproximal and sub-gingival areas where tufts of bristles are unable to penetrate or reach. This is because the bristles tend to pass or flick over the gaps between the teeth and are usually physically impeded from reaching behind the interdental papillae and below the gumline. To clean these areas (col and sub-gingival areas), it is generally necessary to floss between the teeth with dental floss.
While flossing effectively cleans the supra-gingival and sub-gingival regions between teeth, many people do not floss regularly. Failing to floss regularly may result in gingivitis, which can lead to more serious gum diseases. These problems can occur despite regular toothbrushing.
The invention features oral devices, such as oral brushes, that are capable of providing interproximal and sub-gingival cleaning and/or gingival stimulation during brushing of the teeth. It is believed that these oral brushes provide clinical benefits, e.g., reduction of gingivitis, to users who do not floss regularly but who do use the oral brush regularly, relative to the benefits provided by using a conventional toothbrush with the same regularity without flossing.
In one aspect, the invention features an oral brush that includes a body having a head that is shaped for insertion into the oral cavity, tooth cleansing elements extending from a top surface of the head, and a rotatable element, mounted on the head, including a central portion and a plurality of protrusions extending radially from the central portion, each protrusion tapering from a relatively wide base to a relatively narrow tip.
Preferred embodiments of the invention include one or more of the following features. The rotatable element is mounted to rotate about an axis that is substantially parallel to the top surface of the head. The head includes a slot positioned to allow the rotatable element to rotate freely. The dimensions of the rotatable element, and the number of protrusions, are selected so that the tips are circumferentially spaced at intervals that correspond approximately to the average spacing of human teeth. The tips define a circle or a hemisphere. The tips are shaped to penetrate the interproximal and sub-gingival regions of the oral cavity, e.g., the tips have a thickness of less than 0.07 inch, more preferably less than 0.03 inch, and most preferably from about 0.005 to 0.025 inch. The tips are formed of a material having a durometer reading of from about 25 to 85 Shore A, more preferably about 55 to 75 Shore A. The tips are formed of a thermoplastic elastomer. The rotatable element is a single, integral part, and is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer. The tooth cleansing elements are selected from bristles, fins and elongated elastomeric members. The oral brush includes two rotatable elements. Each rotatable element is mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation that is substantially parallel to the top surface of the head. The axes of rotation of the rotatable elements define a plane that is substantially parallel to the top surface of the head. The axes of rotation are not collinear. The rotatable members are positioned at the end of the head. The rotatable members further include massaging protrusions that are shaped to massage the gums.
In another aspect, the invention features an oral brush that includes a body having a head shaped for insertion into the oral cavity, tooth cleansing elements extending from a top surface of the head, and a pair of rotatable elements, each rotatable element including (a) a central portion that is mounted on the head to rotate about an axis of rotation, and (b) a plurality of protrusions extending radially at spaced intervals about the circumference of the central portion, each protrusion having a tip that is shaped to penetrate the interproximal region of the oral cavity, the rotatable elements being mounted so that the axes of rotation are not collinear.
Preferred embodiments include one or more of the following features. The protrusions are selected from tufts of bristles, solid tapered members, fins, and combinations thereof. The protrusions are shaped to penetrate the sub-gingival area. The axes of rotation define a plane that is substantially parallel to the top surface of the head. The rotatable members are positioned at the end of the head. The ends of the tips of each rotatable member define a circle or a hemisphere.
The invention also features an oral care device that includes a body having a head shaped for insertion into the oral cavity, and a rotatable element mounted on the head. The rotatable element includes one or more of the features described above.
In another aspect, the invention features methods of cleansing the interproximal regions of the oral cavity using an oral brush of the invention.
The term xe2x80x9cinterproximalxe2x80x9d refers to the areas between the teeth of a mammal.
Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following Description of the Preferred Embodiments, the drawings and the claims.